Removing Hand Putty from Fabrics

Therapy putty is a versatile product with a wide range of uses, and may be recommended by your doctor for everything from stress relief to improving hand strength, but you may find yourself stuck if it gets into your fabrics or on your carpet. Therapy putty goes by a number of names (Rainbow Hand Putty, Therapy Putty, Theraputty, even Silly Putty) but the remedies are pretty much the same for all of them. While there is no official 'best' way to remove the putty, I have compiled some answers from our readers on how they got themselves out of this sticky situation. The most common solution is to use a lubricant such as WD-40 or Isopropyl Alcohol, but other products have been known to work like Goof Off or even hand sanitizer with high alcohol content.

To Remove Putty from Clothing or Fabric

What you need:

Isopropyl Alcohol (90% or higher) OR Lubricant such as WD-40 or Goof Off

Spoon or Butter Knife

A Flat Surface such as a countertop

What to do:

Pull the fabric taut over the flat surface

Use a cotton ball to apply alcohol OR spray affected area with lubricant

Use the edge of your spoon/butter knife to scrape away putty

Repeat as necessary

To Remove Putty from Couches and Carpet:

What you need:

Isopropyl Alcohol (90% or higher)

Standard Dish Rag

What to do:

Soak part of the rag with the alcohol

Rub area covered in putty gently, rinse rag as needed until putty is removed

Note: When rinsing your rag, be sure to rinse it in a bucket or other container, you do not want to get putty stuck in your sink or home plumbing as this could lead to costly repairs.